Once we become familiar with our creative craft, we may start to develop a certain style. We may emulate those who inspire us at first but after much experimentation our own personality will show through and we will inevitably do things our own way. Style essentially is our fingerprint that will be recognized by our audience.
Style should be influenced by our inspirations, but not confined to them. For me I like American comics and Japanese Anime, so I try to incorporate aspects of each in my style. I pick and choose what I like best and try to build upon aspects that spark my creative energy.
It is a daunting task to try to find your own style, but once you do the work truly feels like your expression and not like your are going by a set of rules. I'm still experimenting with styles as I go but only alter my core style if it feels true to myself. Like with any craft it takes an open mind and lots of hard work to master expression.
Our style shouldn't be a restraint, always look for better and more productive ways to do things. In digital art I'm constantly finding new and faster ways of doing things that have better results. Mistakes should be a learning experience not a discouragement. Don't be afraid to diversify, experiment, and most of all express your true self.
A wiseman once told me that a person's style is everything thats incorrect about an image but also the very thing that makes it beautiful. I found this very insightful and am happy that this wiseman is now my personal illustrator. Real life is what it is. It is up to us to make something better of it so that reality will someday bend to our will in all the best ways. That is the result of style.
ReplyDeleteAwesome, to bend reality to our will is the very pure essence of imagination set in motion.
DeleteComics and anime are two of the things that I find the most inspiration from. An artist's style is what makes their work stand out from the rest. Once you have a foundation, you can always modify your style to make it better.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, once you have a strong foundation style comes naturally.
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